how to keep minimized jinternalframe on top

Question

i have four internal frames and 3 buttons in it .When i hit the maximize button,maximizes but it overlaps all the frames.But my point is that it should show the minimized fr

Answer 1

You could try: JDesktopPane#setComponentZOrder(Component com, int i). As per docs:

Moves the specified component to the specified z-order index in the container. The z-order determines the order that components are painted; the component with the highest z-order paints first and the component with the lowest z-order paints last. Where components overlap, the component with the lower z-order paints over the component with the higher z-order.

...

Note:

Not all platforms support changing the z-order of heavyweight components from one container into another without the call to removeNotify. There is no way to detect whether a platform supports this, so developers shouldn't make any assumptions.

This will allow you to set the order of the JInternalFrames contained within JDesktopPane.

UPDATE:

As per my comment:

From what I can see its the default behavior and doesnt seem to be over com-able by JDesktopPane#setComponentZOrder(Component com, int i) when the JInternalFrame is iconified. it works fine when its in normal state

Solution:

I suggest adjusting the layer on which maximized JInternalFrame is shown:

    jb2.addActionListener(new ActionListener() {
        @Override
        public void actionPerformed(ActionEvent ae) {
            try {
                if (jInternalFrame.isMaximum()) {//restore
                    jInternalFrame.pack();
                } else {//maximize
                    jInternalFrame.setMaximum(true);
                }
                jdp.remove(jInternalFrame);
                jdp.add(jInternalFrame, JDesktopPane.FRAME_CONTENT_LAYER);
                jdp.revalidate();
                jdp.repaint();
            } catch (Exception e) {
                e.printStackTrace();
            }

        }
    });

We must also not forget to add it back to the DEFAULT_LAYER when it is minimized:

    jb.addActionListener(new ActionListener() {
        @Override
        public void actionPerformed(ActionEvent ae) {
            try {
                if (jInternalFrame.getLayer() == JDesktopPane.FRAME_CONTENT_LAYER) {
                    jdp.remove(jInternalFrame);
                    jdp.add(jInternalFrame, JDesktopPane.DEFAULT_LAYER);
                    jdp.revalidate();
                    jdp.repaint();
                }
                jInternalFrame.pack();
                jInternalFrame.setIcon(true);
            } catch (PropertyVetoException ex) {
            }

        }
    });

Here is full code:

import java.awt.Dimension;
import java.awt.GridLayout;
import java.awt.HeadlessException;
import java.awt.event.ActionEvent;
import java.awt.event.ActionListener;
import java.beans.PropertyVetoException;
import javax.swing.JButton;
import javax.swing.JDesktopPane;
import javax.swing.JFrame;
import javax.swing.JInternalFrame;
import javax.swing.JPanel;
import javax.swing.SwingUtilities;
import javax.swing.plaf.basic.BasicInternalFrameTitlePane;
import javax.swing.plaf.basic.BasicInternalFrameUI;

public class Test {

    public Test() throws HeadlessException, PropertyVetoException {
        createAndShowGUI();
    }

    public static void main(String[] args) {
        SwingUtilities.invokeLater(new Runnable() {
            @Override
            public void run() {
                try {
                    new Test();
                } catch (HeadlessException ex) {
                    ex.printStackTrace();
                } catch (PropertyVetoException ex) {
                    ex.printStackTrace();
                }

            }
        });
    }

    private void createAndShowGUI() throws HeadlessException, PropertyVetoException {
        JFrame frame = new JFrame();
        frame.setDefaultCloseOperation(JFrame.DISPOSE_ON_CLOSE);

        final JDesktopPane jdp = new JDesktopPane() {
            @Override
            public Dimension getPreferredSize() {
                return new Dimension(600, 400);
            }
        };

        frame.setContentPane(jdp);
        frame.pack();

        createAndAddInternalFrame(jdp, 0, 0);
        createAndAddInternalFrame(jdp, 300, 0);
        createAndAddInternalFrame(jdp, 0, 200);

        frame.setVisible(true);
    }

    private void createAndAddInternalFrame(final JDesktopPane jdp, int x, int y) throws PropertyVetoException {
        final JInternalFrame jInternalFrame = new JInternalFrame("Test1", true, true, true, true);
        jInternalFrame.setLocation(x, y);

        JPanel jp = new JPanel();

        JButton jb = new JButton("min");
        JButton jb2 = new JButton("max/restore");
        JButton jb3 = new JButton("close");

        jInternalFrame.setLayout(new GridLayout(2, 2));

        jp.add(jb);
        jp.add(jb2);
        jp.add(jb3);

        jInternalFrame.add(jp);

        jb.addActionListener(new ActionListener() {
            @Override
            public void actionPerformed(ActionEvent ae) {
                try {
                    if (jInternalFrame.getLayer() == JDesktopPane.FRAME_CONTENT_LAYER) {
                        jdp.remove(jInternalFrame);
                        jdp.add(jInternalFrame, JDesktopPane.DEFAULT_LAYER);
                        jdp.revalidate();
                        jdp.repaint();
                    }
                    jInternalFrame.pack();
                    jInternalFrame.setIcon(true);
                } catch (PropertyVetoException ex) {
                    ex.printStackTrace();
                }

            }
        });
        jb2.addActionListener(new ActionListener() {
            @Override
            public void actionPerformed(ActionEvent ae) {
                try {
                    if (jInternalFrame.isMaximum()) {//restore
                        jInternalFrame.pack();
                    } else {//maximize
                        jInternalFrame.setMaximum(true);
                    }
                    jdp.remove(jInternalFrame);
                    jdp.add(jInternalFrame, JDesktopPane.FRAME_CONTENT_LAYER);
                    jdp.revalidate();
                    jdp.repaint();
                } catch (Exception e) {
                    e.printStackTrace();
                }

            }
        });
        jb3.addActionListener(new ActionListener() {
            @Override
            public void actionPerformed(ActionEvent ae) {
                try {
                    jInternalFrame.dispose();
                } catch (Exception ex) {
                    ex.printStackTrace();
                }

            }
        });

        BasicInternalFrameTitlePane titlePane = (BasicInternalFrameTitlePane) ((BasicInternalFrameUI) jInternalFrame.getUI()).getNorthPane();
        jInternalFrame.remove(titlePane);

        jInternalFrame.pack();
        jInternalFrame.setVisible(true);

        jdp.add(jInternalFrame);
    }
}

Answer 2

Here's the result of calling moveToBack() in the maximize button handler. Also remember to call pack() on the internal frame.

Addendum: I've updated the example to include max, min and icon buttons. The buttons use Action for easier testing, and the internal frames have distinct names. See createToolBar() to change the L&F dynamically, e.g.

frame.add(createToolBar(frame), BorderLayout.NORTH);

import java.awt.Dimension;
import java.awt.event.ActionEvent;
import java.beans.PropertyVetoException;
import javax.swing.AbstractAction;
import javax.swing.JButton;
import javax.swing.JDesktopPane;
import javax.swing.JFrame;
import javax.swing.JInternalFrame;
import javax.swing.JPanel;
import javax.swing.SwingUtilities;

//* @see https://stackoverflow.com/a/14874924/230513 */
public class Test {

    public Test() {
        createAndShowGUI();
    }

    public static void main(String[] args) {
        SwingUtilities.invokeLater(new Runnable() {

            @Override
            public void run() {
                new Test();
            }
        });
    }

    private void createAndShowGUI() {
        JFrame frame = new JFrame();
        frame.setDefaultCloseOperation(JFrame.EXIT_ON_CLOSE);
        final JDesktopPane jdp = new JDesktopPane() {

            @Override
            public Dimension getPreferredSize() {
                return new Dimension(600, 400);
            }
        };
        for (int i = 0; i < 4; i++) {
            createInternalFrame(jdp, 100 * i, 100 * i);
        }
        frame.add(jdp);
        frame.pack();
        frame.setVisible(true);
    }

    private void createInternalFrame(final JDesktopPane jdp, int x, int y) {
        final JInternalFrame jif = new JInternalFrame("Test" + x, true, true, true, true);
        jif.setLocation(x, y);
        JPanel jp = new JPanel();
        jp.add(new JButton(new AbstractAction("max") {

            @Override
            public void actionPerformed(ActionEvent ae) {
                try {
                    jif.setMaximum(true);
                    jif.moveToBack();
                } catch (PropertyVetoException e) {
                    e.printStackTrace();
                }

            }
        }));
        jp.add(new JButton(new AbstractAction("min") {

            @Override
            public void actionPerformed(ActionEvent ae) {
                try {
                    jif.setMaximum(false);
                } catch (PropertyVetoException e) {
                    e.printStackTrace();
                }

            }
        }));
        jp.add(new JButton(new AbstractAction("icon") {

            @Override
            public void actionPerformed(ActionEvent ae) {
                try {
                    jif.setIcon(true);
                } catch (PropertyVetoException e) {
                    e.printStackTrace();
                }
            }
        }));
        jif.add(jp);
        jif.pack();
        jif.setVisible(true);
        jdp.add(jif);
    }
}